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Monday, August 27, 2012

I still have the same site name. The Blogger page just has a .blogspot now. I do hope you continue to follow me. So sorry for the last minute notice. I hope that everyone will find a new way to follow me, there on WordPress.

Woot! Diva in the house! Author Chastity Bush has cruised by today to give us busy chicks a recipe for a sweet treat that can be whipped up in a jiffy. She is also sharing one of her eBooks to a lucky commenter. Let's give her a ginormous welcome worthy of a Diva.

Thanks for having me here today, Vanessa!

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Chastity Bush
and I’m the author of several romance novels. Writing’s my passion and I can’t
go a single day without doing, or thinking about it. If you’ve read my books,
thank you! And if not, I hope you one day do!

I’m also a wife, and the mother to two great daughters. As
many of you mothers out there know, life can get a bit hectic from time to time
and making a yummy treat is almost completely out of the question. I love to
bake, and many recipes are so complicated and time consuming it’s hard to make
time to prepare them. So here’s a quick and easy recipe I’m sure your family
will love.

Thanks again for having me here today!

Banana Pudding Poke Cake (I got this recipe from The Country
Cook Website, but made a few changes. Enjoy!)

You can change up this recipe and instead of using banana
pudding, use chocolate or vanilla!

Directions:
Prepare cake
mix according to package directions for a 9x13 cake.
Once cake
comes out of the oven, allow it to cool for just a couple of minutes.
Then, with a
wooden spoon handle. Begin poking holes in the cake.

Prepare
pudding per directions on box.

Once
pudding starts to thicken, pour over cake.
Press pudding into holes with the back of a spoon. Make sure the pudding
gets into the holes.

Place
cake into refrigerator and all to cool completely.

Spread
on whipped topping. (Or you can use regular icing. I like to make mine with
white icing, and add banana flavoring)

Crush
vanilla wafers in ziplock bag. (Leave some pieces bigger for a little crunch).
Spread over cake and serve. (Can also serve with slices of bananas)

Chastity Bush is the author of several romance novels known for
their spicy romance, suspense and humorous edge. When not hard at work on her
next novel you can find her spending time with her husband and their two
daughters. She loves to hear from her readers and personally answers all email
she receives.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Night’s Awakening ~

Meet the hero ~

Guy

Guy is wholly unprepared for his life to be shaken to its very core when he saves a woman who has trespassed onto their land and decided to go caving in their mountain. While everyone else is worried what she might have seen, Guy is more concerned with the way he can't stay away from Elena or her very tempting lips.

Never once has he turned his back on his fellow Dragon Kings, but for Elena he would do anything just to keep her near him. Even if it meant going against everything it was to be a King.

Dragon Color:

Red

Power:

Erase Memories

Favored Region:

Desert

Night’s Awakening

Fueled by dragon magic, the dark immortal warriors were never meant to feel human desire, much less fall in love. But when Guy, a member of an ancient order of shape-shifting warriors, meets Elena Griffin—a mere mortal whose beauty and blind ambition shakes him to his core—all bets are off…
Having left America to explore the Scottish Highlands, Elena suddenly finds herself lost in a dark cave—alone, injured, and utterly hopeless…until Guy appears from out of nowhere. Is she dreaming her own rescue when she falls into his arms? A man—and a passion—this strong is too good to be true. It’s only a matter a time before she learns the truth about the flames in his heart. And the dragon in his soul…

Read a snippet from Night's Awakening ~~

The Highlands, June

Deep in a cave . . .

Elena Griffin adjusted her helmet while praying the LED light atop it didn’t go out. She wasn’t the adventurous, adrenaline junkie kind, but when her new boss told her they were going caving, there wasn’t much Elena could do but go along with it.

She’d done many things while growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, but caving wasn’t one of them. Something about the dark, musty place wasn’t somewhere she wanted to be.

Everything in her told her it was a bad idea. No matter Elena’s objections, Sloan had shown her the safety equipment, as well as how to use it, and assured her everything was going to be fine.

“I’ve been caving for years, Elena. I’ve been wanting to explore these caves for some time now, and it’s the perfect opportunity.”

“Did you get the go-ahead from the landowners?” Elena asked as she felt the thick rope and carabineers at her side. Mentally she went through how to use them, trying to become familiar in case something unexpected happened.

Despite Sloan showing her the Italian hitch knot at least three dozen times, Elena hadn’t been able to get the hang of it, and all she could pray for was that their lives didn’t depend on her tying a knot.

“What the Dreagans don’t know won’t hurt them,” Sloan said in her cheery British accent. She winked at Elena. “Get that American ass moving!”

Elena watched Sloan walk into the cave. This was Elena’s last chance to turn back, to tell Sloan to forget it. But this new job was everything she’d spent the last six years of her life working toward.

So what if she had to spend a day in a cave to cement her relationship with Sloan. It was worth it to finally be in London, to finally be climbing that ladder of success that had always seemed out of reach.

She took a deep, fortifying breath and followed Sloan.

The warm fleece hoodie Elena wore over her long-sleeve shirt didn’t stop the damp from settling into her bones almost instantly. It was going to take Elena a while before she got used to the cold, especially the damp cold of Scotland. In summer.

The only thing she could be happy about was knowing that she wouldn’t be staying in Scotland for long.

Since Elena knew nothing of caving, she’d done some research in the early hours of the morning when she should have been sleeping. She knew they should have at least four members to their party, but Sloan had assured her they’d be gone only a few hours and would be fine with just the two of them.

Elena didn’t exactly want to start off her new job by questioning everything Sloan said. Still, the fact of it was that it was just the two of them. And it worried the hell out of her.

Comment below with email address to enter! I will be picking a winner 9-10.

Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. She's the author of more than twenty novels spanning multiple genres of romance—Scottish Medieval, dark fantasy, time travel, paranormal, and erotic. Her latest acclaimed series, Dark Sword, features a thrilling combination of Druids, primeval gods, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her husband, two children, a dog, and three cats in Texas.
Learn more about Donna Grant and her books here --http://www.donnagrant.com/category/books/?series=dark-kings
The Dark Kings series is a spin off the Dark Warriors series and Dark Sword series.

Nathaniel has traveled from his own home land to Taden’s.
Nathaniel is promptly captured and abused at the hands of Sutherlin soldiers.
Taden not trusting the Sutherlin’s who are his enemy takes a chance and frees
Nathaniel. From here an attraction that I
never understood the reasons behind begins. Nathaniel leaves Taden on several occasions.
They are attracted, yet Nathaniel seems to not want to remain with Taden.

There were too many aspects about this book that I just didn’t
get. Corin repeatedly pushes himself into Taden’s mind and also into kissing
embraces. Taden clearly only has eyes for Nathaniel. Corin also is very possessive
of Miranda. Is this due to a romantic interest? Corin also tells Taden that
Miranda keeps Nathanial’s insanity at bay. How is this? Nathanial’s sanity is
never really brought up as an issue, just that Corin tells Taden that it’s a hereditary
condition.

The biggest unanswered question was what Nathaniel is. He
is not a witch, even though he is accused as such often. Even Taden questions
this repeatedly. Nathaniel also has so little dialogue that he seemed two dimensional.
The book is named after him, so I expected to discover more about him.

The sex scenes are plentiful, but not too graphic. They present themselves in a way that make it seem like
Nathaniel is simply there and not fleshed out in my opinion.

Misfit in Middle America by Mandy M. Roth is a short read packed with action, supernatural, and
a nice smidge of hot sex. The story takes place in North Maple Ridge in the
Midwest of the USA. The town has just
experienced its third murder in as little as three weeks and Chief Adam Sisel
is investigating the gruesome murders.
Little does he know that the murders are part of a bigger mystery; one
that surrounds the small town and most of its residence. Chief Sisel and his son are considered the
outcasts of the town, as they were not originally born and bred, but
transplants. We also meet Beth Murray,
resident and town reporter. Furthermore,
the only woman that Adam has an interest in since his wife ran out on him and
his son, Justin some 15 years ago. Of course, leave it to a man to not express
his feelings and tell her of his interest.

Adam and
Beth are inadvertently paired together to deal with the horrific murders after
the latest two victims are revealed; Jonathon and Robert, Beth’s cousins.
Jonathon has met is demise while Robert’s life hangs in the balance. We soon learn that Beth and many of the
townspeople are witches or magiks and that Robert is part of the paranormal
presence that is slaughtering the youths.

We also meet
Justin, Adam’s quiet- Goth son who now finds himself in the thick of the magic
invading the town and is being looked at as a “planted-suspect” by some of the
townspeople.

Although it
took me less than an hour and a half to read the book, it was packed throughout
every page and held my interest. I wished that the book could have been longer
as I saw so much more being written into the story and the world of the
occult. I wanted to find out the mystery
of the town and the involvement of the paranormal and even though the book answered
my questions, it did so very quickly. Additionally while there was only one
major sex scene, the scene was smoking and well worth it; finally bringing Adam
and Beth together.

This is my
first read of Ms. Roth but I would
consider reading other works published by her. The internal conflict that she
writes into her characters, especially Adam was done with clarity and
sensitivity, never doubting where he was coming from. Overall, I enjoyed the
story.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Thank you, Rachel and Vanessa, for having me back on The
Jeep Diva with my paranormal-occult romance novel, The Kure.
While it is first and foremost a love story, the underlying theme of The
Kureis based on a derivation of some rather unusual and unsavory
practices taken from a few of the darker pages of our past.Using the historical
relevance as a commitment to authenticity, I set the main characters, John and
Sarah, on a path to pursue a desperate romance, making the outcome that much
more interesting …

One of my challenges in writing The Kure was
to convey the strong sense of mutual attraction between John and Sarah. Not
that the interest didn’t exist—unfortunately, the conflict preventing them from
demonstrating their physical passion was John’s own body and its reaction to a
deadly plague that threatened to end any chance of a future together.

Yet the longing between John and Sarah
became a mainstay of the story. Fueled by their flirtatious exchanges—the
characteristic foreplay of would–be lovers—their unrequited passion was as
frustrating as it was compelling as they faced the possibility of their
relationship becoming nothing more than a bittersweet memory.

In the following excerpt, John and Sarah have found their
way to the barn, the closest shelter from a violent storm. Soaking wet from the
pelting rain, Sarah slips into the tack room to remove her clothing,
unconcerned that John is watching from just a few feet away . . .

Here’s an excerpt:

If he had known Sarah was going to use a second
lantern to illuminate the room’s interior, he would have waited, or sat
somewhere else. Now with the light betraying her every move, common courtesy
demanded that he direct his focus elsewhere. Until she finished changing, he
should pretend to be occupied with adjusting his blanket, or watching the
intermittent flashes brighten the loft. But he could no more look away than the
ancient sailors could ignore the seductive song of mythic sirens.

She unbuttoned her blouse and bent forward, pulling
it free from the tight tuck inside her dress. Breaking the wet seal, she peeled
the clinging fabric from her shoulders. Glancing back through the doorway, she
saw John staring openly, his gaze unhampered by moral restraint. She simply
smiled, granting him permission, allowing him to see her full breasts in the
subdued yellow cast of the lantern.

She had left the door open for a reason—not because
she needed the light, or had any intention to tempt or tantalize. It was a
confirmation of their unspoken bond; they had fought the storm together, and
tomorrow they would both learn John’s fate. Any display of feigned virtue or
prudish reluctance would have been a sad sequel to the concern and caring—the
unspoken desire—that had driven them this far. She had left the door open
because there was simply no reason to close it.

John could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He
had to find a way to calm himself, to silently assure Sarah that he could
appreciate her beauty in the same way she had chosen to reveal it. He had been
unconsciously holding his breath. He let it out slowly, demanding that his own
body not distract him from Sarah’s.

She reached behind and untied the waistband of her
skirt. Without hesitation, she slid it over her hips and let it drop. The thin
fabric of her underclothes clung to every contour, every fold, and Sarah made
no effort to turn away as she pushed the final piece of damp cotton down her
thighs. It fell to her ankles, leaving her naked in the soft, golden light.

The rain beat steady and hard on the roof, its rhythm
in concert with the pulsing wind. The horses shuffled about in their stalls,
occasionally snorting at the draft of air flowing from the open loft. High
above, century-old timbers creaked and groaned with the changing pressure.

Yet John heard none of it. Sarah’s body was a
spellbinding vision, her clothing having only hinted at the sheer perfection of
her form, and he watched her as though each movement was a sacred revelation,
every motion divinely inspired. But as his reverent admiration grew in
proportion to his desire, his thoughts were plagued by one inescapable
certainty: If the disease could not be arrested by the leeching—if it
ultimately took his manhood—he would never know the pleasure of her touch
during a playful swim on a warm summer’s evening, or delight in watching the
firelight kiss her smooth, inviting skin on a cold winter’s night. If forced to
endure the worst possible result of the bloodletting, he would be left with
only memories of how the raindrops had sparkled on her face, how her breasts
had glistened in the lamp light, and how unhurried and trusting she had been,
standing naked before him.

*
* * *

Here’s a brief synopsis of The Kure:

John Tyler, a young man in his
early twenties, awakens to find a ghastly affliction taking over his body. When
the village doctor offers the conventional, and potentially disfiguring,
treatment as the only cure, John tenaciously convinces the doctor to reveal an
alternative remedy—a forbidden ritual contained within an ancient manuscript
called the Kure.

Although initially rejecting the
vile and sinister rite, John realizes, too late, that the ritual is more than a
faded promise scrawled on a page of crumbling paper. And as cure quickly
becomes curse, the demonic text unleashes a dark power that drives him to
consider the unthinkable—a depraved and wicked act requiring the corruption of
an innocent soul.

Ultimately, John must choose
between his desperate need to arrest the plague that is destroying his body,
and the virtue of the woman he loves, knowing the wrong decision could cost him
his life.

* *
* * *

Because of the nature of the theme, The
Kure is best suited for an adult reader. For those who would like to
learn more about the background and dark historical practices which became an
inspiration for the story, I’ve provided some details on my website at the
following link:

Author Bio:
Jaye Frances is the author of The Kure, a
paranormal-occult romance novel, The Possibilities of Amy, a
coming-of-age story of high school romance, The Cruise-All That Glitters,
a humorous adult satire about romance, and The Beach, a
sci-fi fantasy about a man who is given the opportunity to receive his ultimate
wish and lives to regret it. She is also a featured columnist for the NUSA SUN
magazine. Born in the Midwest, Jaye readily admits that her life’s destination
has been the result of an open mind and a curiosity about all things
irreverent. When she’s not consumed by her writing, Jaye enjoys cooking,
traveling to all places tropical and “beachy” and taking pictures—lots of
pictures—many of which find their way to her website. Jaye lives on the central
gulf coast of Florida, sharing her home with one husband, six computers, four
cameras, and several hundred pairs of shoes. For more information, visit Jaye’s
website at www.jayefrances.com, or
Jaye’s Blog at http://blog.jayefrances.com

Summary from Goodreads"In vain thou shall use many medicines, but thou shalt not be kured. And even though you search for a virgin to lay upon her balm, there is no healing for you. You multiply your remedies in vain as your cries fill the earth, and you will stumble, one over the other, and both will fall down together." - The Book of Eternal Regret

John Tyler, a young man in his early twenties, awakens to find a ghastly affliction taking over his body. When the village doctor offers the conventional, and potentially disfiguring, treatment as the only cure, John tenaciously convinces the doctor to reveal an alternative remedy—a forbidden ritual contained within an ancient manuscript called the Kure.

Although initially rejecting the vile and sinister rite, John realizes, too late, that the ritual is more than a faded promise scrawled on a page of crumbling paper. And as cure quickly becomes curse, the demonic text unleashes a dark power that drives him to consider the unthinkable—a depraved and wicked act requiring the corruption of an innocent soul.

Ultimately, John must choose between his desperate need to arrest the plague that is destroying his body, and the virtue of the woman he loves, knowing the wrong decision could cost him his life.

This book is best suited for a Mature YA/New-Adult or Adult reader. For more information and background about the dark historical practices that inspired the story, visit my website link below:

Out of the three books of Jaye’s that I have read so far
this is more the type of book that I mainly read. It is an adult story with dark overtones. I would
not recommend this book for anyone who is squeamish due to some descriptions contained within. I give the book 4 stars.

The story was interesting. I can't wait to hear more on this
dark tale. I admit the details of the main characters affliction’s description
was gross but you also needed to know about it to know how desperate of a
situation he was in. The only problem I had in the story was the storyline kind
of lost me with all the descriptions and build up for a few pages in the middle
of the story. I found myself skimming that part and then had to make myself
re-read it.

The characters are wonderfully written and I can’t really
blame John for some of his decisions given how desperate he was. John set out
looking for a way to be cured and ended up finding a woman he found himself
falling in love with but with decisions made and The Kure to deal with we are
unclear by the end of the book if they will be together and all will be
forgiven or not. Sarah is a very strong character also and I admire how much she wanted to help even when most people would have ran the other way.

As I am no expert on this subject matter I can’t say for
sure but the story felt that it was well researched and definitely well written
by Jaye. I would like to read the next in the series to see what happens with
John and Sarah and also what payment will be demanded for using The Kure.

The
Last Degree is a fictionalized account of how Freemasons and other secret
societies set up the world for takeover. Ancient writings foretell a ‘Shining
One’ who emerges as the world’s prophet. A murder of a Most Worshipful mason
resembles a secret oath. A cop gets too close to solving the crime. Paranoid
preppers go underground, preparing for war.

Headlines
such as the Norway
massacre, meltdown of the European Union, unscrupulous media, animal die-offs,
Middle Eastern unrest, and U.S.
shrinking power make the plot relevant to present day. This book is an ode to
Christians, Birthers, 2012ers, Truthers, preppers, and/or other conspiracy
junkies who enjoy Dan Brown, Jesse Ventura, Brad Meltzer, Alex Jones, Jerry
Jenkins and Tim LaHaye.

Excerpt:

Dwight took off his crown, signifying he was no
longer playing King Solomon.

“Sacrifice is expected for ones that you
love. Do you love me?” Dwight
shouted. “Then bow down before me and
offer praise!”

Everyone knelt and laid their head down to the
floor, chanting 'Most Worshipful,

Most Worshipful' several times before Dwight
commanded them to get up.

In a manic energetic state, Dwight vociferated,
“Et vitam impendere vero!” All repeated,
with the three new pledges joining in.
Minutes later, he began to calm down.
“To sacrifice life for truth - that is what we must always do! You must trust me as your Most Worshipful and
sacrifice at my command! Are you
prepared to do this?” All three pledges
nodded.

Dwight pulled the content baby out of Arthur's
arms and threw it high into the air. As
the baby began to descend, Dwight took his sword and hacked through its neck,
decapitating it before it hit the floor.
Only the three pledges shrieked in horror. He sinisterly smiled as he picked up the head
and body, revealing it was only a doll.

“Don't believe with your eyes, but believe with
your knowledge. We are his chosen and
will soon be exalted.”

The three men looked down at their hands and
tried not to scream. They were covered
in blood.

“Sacrifice, my brothers, sacrifice. I will teach you well. You are all Chiefs of the Tabernacle! Let us go and celebrate!” Dwight gleamed.

Dina Rae is a new author here to stay. As a former teacher, she brings an academic
element to her work. Her two novels,
Halo of the Damned and The Last Degree, weave research and suspense throughout
the plots. Her short story, Be Paranoid
Be Prepared, is a prequel of sorts to The Last Degree, focusing on the James
Martin character. Dina also freelances
for various entertainment blogs.

Dina
lives with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs outside of Chicago.
She is a Christian, an avid tennis player, movie buff, and
self-proclaimed expert on several conspiracy theories. When she is not writing, she is reading
novels from her favorite authors Dan Brown, Anne Rice, Stephen King, Brad Thor,
George R.R. Martin, and Preston & Childs.